Canon RF 28mm 2.8 STM

The Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM is a pleasant surprise, especially in terms of sharpness. It may be a tiny lens, but optically it's a big boy and as sharp as a tack, even at f/2.8. We have seen only a few lenses with MTFs this high across the image field. Lateral CAs are low. Conversely, image distortions are on the high side in RAW files. However, we have seen much worse, and the issue is nicely auto-corrected anyway. The original vignetting is also high at f/2.8, but once again - this will be corrected unless you disable the feature. A wide-angle lens with a max aperture of f/2.8 has limited shallow depth-of-field capabilities, but in the right circumstances (at close focus distances), the out-of-focus blur is actually quite smooth. This is unusual for such a lens. Axial CAs can be visible at f/2.8, although this tends to be of lesser concern with such a lens. The lens struggles a bit with strong light sources, but the issue is primarily confined to the direct surroundings of the light. In terms of build quality, it is true to its price tag - which doesn't mean that it's bad. The lens barrel is made of good quality, slightly textured plastic based on a metal mount. The inner lens tube extends a little bit once the camera is switched on. It's a bit weird, and also somewhat annoying, that the inner barrel retracts automatically when trying to attach the lens cap while the camera is still on. Hopefully, Canon will fix this behavior via firmware. Weather sealing has not been implemented, as far as we could make out. The AF is only Okayishly fast and not noiseless either. It's not a big deal but worth mentioning. Overall, the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM isn't just adorable for its tiny size; it's also extremely capable - within its scope. If you want to keep a low profile during shooting, it's almost a must-have. Therefore - "highly recommended!".

The Canon RF 28mm f2.8 is a mild wide prime lens for EOS R mirrorless cameras, and the slimmest RF lens to date. Measuring 69mm in diameter, just 25mm long, and weighing a mere 120g, the RF 28 is a true pancake lens which transforms the portability of any body you mount it on. Mount it on a full-frame body like the R8, R6 or R5 and it’ll deliver mild wide-angle coverage, while fitting it on a cropped body with an APSC sensor like the R100, R50, R10 or R7 will reduce the coverage to 45mm, turning it into a standard lens. Check out my preview below to find out more, and check back soon for a full test!